Bad Princess: A Mafia Romance

by N. E. Henderson

  “What?” Lorenzo calls out without looking up from the third glass he’s drank in the last half an hour, which means he’s going to be another one of my problems for the night to deal with.

  Why didn’t I leave them both at home?

  “Your goddamn twin. That’s what.” I jerk my head toward the dance floor. “De Salvo might as well be humping her out there.” I should walk out there and rip that bastard’s hands right off her, but on one hand, Matteo touching her doesn’t get under my skin the same way Vin’s eyes on her did, or when Krishna had his tongue down my sister’s throat while eye-fucking me from across the bar. On the other hand, my father has made it clear to all his children that Matteo De Salvo isn’t to touch his daughter in any way. Tony Caputo doesn’t like the boxing champ, and it has nothing to do with his former relationship with Matteo’s uncle. Everyone knows Si has had a thing for Matteo since we were kids and De Salvo never paid her a bit of attention. If she wasn’t good enough for him then, she isn’t going to be good enough for him now, and I don’t plan on letting my sister be another notch on his bedpost.

  “Lay off her,” Ren bites out. “Let her get her rocks off if she wants. Hell, she needs to get that fucker out of her system. Maybe fucking him will do that.”

  “Wish she’d rub that fine ass on me.”

  Ren and I both look to my right. “Do you want to bleed tonight?” I arch an eyebrow as I look down at Rick from where my ass is perched on the arm of the chair he’s slouched back in, a tumbler of whiskey in his hand.

  “Did I say that out loud?” He smirks, not really caring if I answer him.

  “She wants in his pants. There’s a difference. She doesn’t want to fuck you,” Ren chimes in before I do.

  “How do you know? Maybe we should ask her,” he smarts off.

  “Maybe you should shut the fuck up before I shut you up—permanently.” I blow air out of my mouth, showing my frustration. “I gotta call Dad.”

  “Why?” Ren asks. “Can’t you just let her be for tonight?”

  “There are cameras everywhere, Lorenzo. If I don’t call him when he can clearly see that I see her with De Salvo, he’ll have my ass. And just because the two of you get away with shit, doesn’t mean I do.” I stand, pull my cell out from the inside of my right jean pocket, and then I walk toward the bar where the music isn’t as loud. “Fuck my life.”

  Dad picks up on the second ring, as he always does when it’s one of his kids calling him. “Hello.”

  “Si and Matteo are talking,” I tell him, cutting to the chase.

  “Just talking?” he inquires, his voice sounding almost bored.

  I turn my head, looking back to where I saw them last. The music has changed, the song faster and even more upbeat than the last. Jesus. She’s basically riding his fucking leg. “More or less,” I answer.

  “Don’t give me that shit, Dom. You’re beating around the bush. What is your sister doing?”

  “They’re dancing. Together,” I add.

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?” I repeat, slowly, as if questioning the word I clearly heard. His “okay” was far too calm for a man that doesn’t want his daughter around a certain man.

  “If she tries to leave with him, you can intervene. Otherwise, let your sister make her own mistakes. Hell, give De Salvo some rope. Maybe he’ll hang himself with it, or maybe he won’t, ‘cause we’ll see, won’t we?”

  “Sure, old man. If that’s what you think is best.”

  “It’s rope, Dom. You give a little. Some things you give more of it on, but you don’t let the end of the rope go.”

  “Got it,” I say. “Wrap it around his fucking neck should I feel the need to.”

  “Son, I got Sienna from my end. Go decompress for the night. You need it after this week.”

  “I’m fine, Dad,” I assure him.

  “Of course, you are. You’re a Caputo. But still, everyone needs a night off, so take it. Let the twins handle their own shit and you handle yours. Goodnight, Son,” he says, right before the call ends.

  You don’t have to tell me twice. I don’t even eye my sister before I pocket my cell and head toward the door. I drove, but being as my father owns this bar, my car will be safely parked in the small parking garage next to the nightclub. I’ve had enough responsibility to last me a lifetime. A good fucking time isn’t going to be had here tonight, but it’s still early, and a strip joint sounds like the type of relaxation I deserve. So, to Headliner’s it is, where tits are plentiful.

  Chapter 18

  SIENNA

  “You don’t strike me as the type that gets drunk often.” Matteo’s face is flushed, his cheeks stained with a rose shade and perspiration runs down his temples. I’m sure my face mirrors his, minus the diluted buzz he was getting from the alcohol.

  “Depends. I’m not usually,” he informs me. “Never when I have Brooklyn, and even when I don’t have her, anything could happen, and if I can’t get to her, then what good of a father am I? The few times I do drink is when my parents have her and I’m not training for a fight.”

  “So, which is it tonight?” He switched to water when we came to the dance floor an hour ago. I’ve drank my weight in aqua tonight, so I’m surprised I haven’t had to ditch him for the bathroom.

  “I’m not training.” He shakes his head. “I will be after this weekend, but I’m not in training mode this week. Brooklyn is at her mom’s.” His chest expands, and then he lets out a powerful sigh that fans my face. “I’m never relaxed when she isn’t with me or my parents.”

  “You don’t trust Kennedy with her own daughter?” Her name comes out like a sour taste in my mouth, but I don’t bother to mask my dislike for his ex.

  “Fuck no! That bitch is the last person I trust with my kid. But Brooklyn loves her mother and I want my daughter to be happy, so, I relent and let Kennedy have time with her.” His jaw locks and the evidence of his disdain is all over his face.

  “Does that mean you have sole custody of her?” I inquire.

  “It does. I know it seems odd, me being her dad when usually it’s the mother that gets full custody, or both parents have joint.”

  “Not really.” My head shakes, disagreeing with him. “I was raised by my dad, and if you’re the better parent then she should be with you.”

  “Yeah, but your mom di—” He catches himself before the word is fully out of his mouth. “Shit. I’m sorry. That was—”

  “It’s fine, Matteo.” I interject, cutting him off. “She did die. That’s a fact. You aren’t hurting my feelings by stating what’s reality.”

  “Yeah, but . . .” he trails off as the song changes and I turn in his arm, facing away from him with my back against his chest and my butt against his jean-clad crotch.

  “I didn’t find it insensitive, so relax.”

  I press against him more when he doesn’t comment back. I like the way it feels being fused together with Matteo. He’s solid everywhere that’s touching me, and his body towers over me, sort of like there’s a wall of protection at my back and it’s there for me alone.

  Being the daughter of a man that’s simply feared for the reputation his last name holds, I’ve never felt unprotected. With my dad and brothers it’s suffocating at times. This feels different, and part of me is afraid that it’s not real. That I’m making it more than what it is in reality. My insecurities send a shiver up my spine and it takes all the force I can muster not to pull away from him.

  “Why are you trembling?” he whispers to the outside of my ear.

  I shrug, giving in to the need to retreat and pull away from him. “No reason.”

  Matteo tightens his hold around my waist, before spinning me to face him. He tugs me in closer, my stomach meeting the front of his pants. “There is a reason. You just don’t want to tell me.”

  “I should go find Ren and go home.” His eyes bore down into mine and it’s too much.

  “Ren left half an hour after Dom did. Tell me,” he demands.r />
  “Krishna is prob—”

  “Fuck Nikolayev. You aren’t going anywhere with him or near him. Now tell me what I want to know.”

  I look away, surveying the club to confirm my brothers aren’t here. Irritation flicks across Matteo’s face as if he thinks I’m searching for Krishna instead of Dom and Ren. I hadn’t realized either had left. Ren disappears often so I’m used to that, but Dom doesn’t. He always tells me when he’s leaving and offers me a ride. I guess he’s pissed at me over what Krishna did earlier. Oh well, he’ll get over it.

  Matteo’s warm fingers touch my chin, applying the slightest bit of pressure, before turning my face to gaze back up at him. When our brown eyes lock, his silent demand is coaxing me to answer. Being tired from dancing, I relent. Slowly raising my eyes, I stop when they land on his and give Matteo an honest answer.

  “You make me nervous. You always have.”

  Chapter 19

  MATTEO

  Her words come out as a whisper; almost too low to hear over the beat of the music, as if she was hoping I’d missed what she said.

  You make me nervous. You always have.

  Those words silently replay as I continue eyeing her, wondering if it’s a good kind of nervous or a bad. I don’t want to scare her, and I don’t get the feeling that I do. She went toe to toe with me only a couple of days ago. Someone that was afraid of me wouldn’t have done so with the ease and confidence I saw in her.

  “If that’s the case, why didn’t you say something already?” I joke. “We could have gotten out of here and been back at my place working out all the ways I make you a nervous wreck, baby.” I tug her closer. “A couple of hours from now I’ll have you completely relaxed.”

  “God, you’re full of yourself.” Her nose scrunches in disgust at the same time she tries to pull away from me. “And do not put words in my mouth, Matteo.”

  Not releasing her, I smirk. “I’m not that full of myself, but you could certainly be stuffed with me.”

  “That’s a hard pass.”

  She twists away, barely making any effort to get out of my grip. Pulling her back to my front, I lean into her, bringing my mouth to brush against her ear over her black, silky locks. “You can pretend you don’t want me, but I know you do, and I want you too, Si. It’s that simple. What’s the point in prolonging the inevitable?”

  Turning her head to look back up at me, she arches an eyebrow. “Did you learn nothing from my father showing up at your place Sunday morning? If memory serves me correctly, and it does, he had a loaded weapon pressed against your forehead, threatening your life. A repeat of that is only going to end with him pulling the trigger this time.”

  “You handled your dad well and I remained unscathed. Besides, you’re an adult, aren’t you?”

  She doesn’t answer my question, but a yawn creeps up her throat. Closing her eyes, she brings her hand up, cupping her mouth until it passes. I release her, giving her room to breathe.

  “It’s nearing one in the morning and I’m up by four most mornings, so that I can get an hour and half of mat time in with my trainer. If I don’t get a few hours of sleep, he’s going to kick my ass in the literal sense. The only place I’m going is home, to my bed, alone.”

  “Then at least let me drive you.”

  “I drove. My car is in the parking garage.”

  “Yeah, mine is too.” I sigh, blowing out a breath and fanning Sienna with warm air. The top of her arms breakout with goose bumps. “Your eye lids have been at half-mast for a while. Let me drive you?” I ask again, all joking and wanting to fuck her aside. I do want to make sure she gets home safely.

  “Fine,” she relents. “But if my father is home and doesn’t take too kindly to your generosity, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “I’ll take my chances with the boss.”

  “Then you must be a complete dumbass.”

  Without replying, I know I am, I lace my fingers with hers and pull her from the nightclub as my phone buzzes in my pocket. I don’t bother checking it, not caring that I’d made plans to meet up with one of my buddies tonight instead of escorting a girl home where she apparently still lives at her father’s rather than her own place like most adults.

  Chapter 20

  SIENNA

  I didn’t need an escort. Sure, I’m as tired as he remarked earlier, and I did almost doze off in his SUV at least once on the ride to my house, but leaving my car parked in the city is going to be more of a hassle than it’s worth. There is no way I’m getting past Daddy without an interrogation, and in a few hours when I need a ride to the gym, he’s going to crawl my ass for taking my car to the city in the first place.

  He hates it when I go into the city alone. It’s okay if I’m with Dom or Ren, but God forbid I drive myself. So yeah, I’m sure this isn’t going to go over well.

  “You didn’t have to walk me to the door, you know.” I stop and turn around to face Matteo.

  “What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t?” One corner of his mouth curves up in a half smile, or maybe it’s an arrogant smirk. I’m too exhausted to decipher.

  “Are you?” I ask instead.

  “Am I what?”

  “A gentleman.”

  He takes a long stride forward, stopping only inches away from the toes of my heel-covered feet. “Answer my question and I’ll answer yours, Sienna.”

  “You haven’t asked one.” He did and I haven’t forgotten it, but I choose to play dumb despite the fact that his blue eyes are calling me on my bullshit.

  “Tell me what it is about me that makes you nervous. You don’t look nervous right now.”

  Looks can be deceiving, I think to myself, but instead of telling him that, I say, “You don’t know enough about me to make that judgment, De Salvo.”

  “Then let me get to know you better.”

  “Why?”

  “Why not?” he counters, and I roll my eyes. “It’s a legit question. I’m not being funny or an asshole. I do want to get to know you. The you I apparently didn’t see when we were kids.” His admission only serves to grate on my nerves. Crossing my arms, I tap the pad of my foot and stare at him. “I’m not leaving until you throw me a bone.”

  Dropping my arms, I step forward, entering his personal space. Matteo holds his spot. He doesn’t back away at my advancement. “You make me feel like I need to put on a jacket and then zip the jacket all the way up to my neck. There. I threw you a bone. You can leave now.” I hold his stare, waiting for him to pivot and leave.

  He does neither.

  “So, I make you feel vulnerable or insecure or both?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t really given it much thought.” I’m lying. I’ve analyzed the shit out of it, and that’s exactly the way he makes me feel. And I hate it. I hate it so much that I want to punch him in the face for it.

  The corners of his mouth tip up, spreading into a slow, satisfied smile. He leans forward but I pull away from him.

  “If you kiss me, I’m going to send you to your knees in a world of pain.”

  “Why are you fighting this so hard?” He blows out a breath, stepping back, giving me breathing room. “You know, you might legally be an adult, but you haven’t grown up. If you were grown, you’d be able to admit you like me and that you want to be in my bed just as much as I want you in my bed.”

  “I can admit anything I damn well want, should I want to admit it.” I step forward, shoving my finger into the center of his rock-hard chest. “You’re hot, Matteo. I can admit you’re attractive. That doesn’t mean I want you, and it doesn’t mean you’re my type. Maybe you’re reading this wrong and it’s just you that wants me. But newsflash, champ, I have no desire to be another notch on your bedpost.”

  “Now who’s the one making assumptions? You can’t fault me for thinking you were this angelic good girl and then turn around and assume I just want in your pants without giving me a chance first.” He arches an eyebrow. “Dinner tomorrow night?”


  “No.”

  “Friday night?”

  “No.”

  “Saturday night then?” Before I can repeat my last answer, he continues, not allowing me to speak. “That’s my date night with my daughter, but I’m sure she’d be fine if you crashed it. You can even pick the venue.”

  At the mention of his kid, my chest tightens, and I think I actually want to say yes. I’m so appalled at that revelation that I shout, “No, Matteo! No. No. And no.”

  “So, I need Daddy’s permission then?” He nods as if answering his own question. “Okay, then. Invite me in. Is the Boss even still awake or is the old man asleep by now?”

  “You really have a death wish, don’t you?”

  “No. I just want to take you out on a date, Sienna. And if I have to ask Tony Caputo for permission, I’m man enough to do that. Being the adult that I am . . .”

  “I manage a multi-million-dollar enterprise. I’m an adult, Matteo. Just because I still live under my father’s roof doesn’t change that.”

  The nerve of him. I’ll never go on a date with him now. He doesn’t get to insult me and then wine and dine me. That’s not how you treat a woman. My mom may have died when I was young, but I remember how my father spoke to her, respected her, cherished her. No one will ever live up to my dad. That’s one of my problems with men. Daddy set the bar too high. It’s unreachable.

  Before I realize what’s happening, Matteo’s lips are on my cheek, delivering the softest kiss I’ve ever felt. It sends fire down my neck, and I’m frozen to the spot I’m standing in on the porch.

  “Until our date . . . Goodnight, baby.”

  I finally blink, regaining my bearings and watch as Matteo strides to his SUV, not even giving me a backward glance.

  Our date? Not happening. Not in this lifetime anyway. Besides, Daddy will never allow it. That much I can count on.